Stiffener for cap visors and the like



Dec. 16, 1924, I Lslgflgl,

W. GROSS STIFFENER FOR CAP VISORS AND THE LIKE Filed July 1, 19

INVENTOR wk, fly: k M /Q ATTORNEYj Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

WILLIAM GROSS, F NER YORK, N. Y.

STIFFENER FOR CAP Application filed July 1,

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Gsoss, a citizen of the United States, residing at 320 East 81st Street, city of New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stifl'eners for Cap Visors and the like; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertain-s to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in stiffeners or liners used in cap visors and the like.

In the manufacture of caps the visor is usually formed by covering a suitable stiffener with cloth. The stiffener is usually made of cardboard, sized burlap or any material which will impart the required rigidity to the visor. It is customary to provide a cap with a separable snap fastener for detachably fastening the forward part of the cap to the visor, the stud member of the fastener usually being secured to the visor and the socket member to the forward portion of the cap. The parts of the snap fastener are applied to the cap when the cap is nearly completed, the stud member being clamped or otherwise secured to the visor after it is complete, that is, after the stiffener has been covered by the cloth.

According to the present invention one member of the separable fastener is attached to the stiffener at the time when the stiffener itself is manufactured. The stif ener with this member, or resilient catch, as it will hereinafter be termed, may there fore be sold to the trade as an article of manufacture complete in itself. In order to render this possible, the resilient catch is so designed that when the visor is covered with cloth during the manufacture of the cap, the resilient catch will penetrate the cloth without materially injuring it and will project a sufficient distance above the surface of the cloth to enable it to coact with the other part of the separable fastener applied to the forward portion of the cap. The cap manufacturer is therefore saved the trouble and expense of applying a part of the separable fastener to the covered visor. llhat part of the separable fastener which is applied to the forward portion of the cap may be a simple eyelet which may VISORS AND THE LIKE.

1924. Serial No. 723,482.

be readily applied by the cap manufacturer without much trouble or expense.

One object of the invention is to provide a stiffener for cap visors and the like having a resilient catch secured thereto which will readily penetrate the cloth or other material with which the stiffener is subsequently covered.

Another object is to provide a stiffener for caps and the like having a resilient catch secured thereto so that the combined stifiener and resilient catch may be sold to the trade as an article of manufacture.

A further object is to provide an article of manufacture comprising a liner having secured thereto one member of a separable fastener which is capable of penetrating the cloth or other material with which the liner is subsequently covered.

The invention is illustrated in the acco1n panying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a cap, the visor of which is made by covering one of the improved stiffeners;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the improved stiffener with a resilient catch secured thereto;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4; is a sectional view illustrating the manner in which the eyelet on the forward portion of the cap cooperates with the resilient catch and further illustrating the manner in which the resilient catch penetrates the cloth with which the visor-stiffener is covered;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of a stiffener having a modified form of resilient catch applied thereto;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of a stiffener having a further modified form of resilient catch applied to it;

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 1-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the resilient catch shown. in Fig. 3 before it is applied to the stiffener;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the resilient catch shown in Fig. 5 before it is applied to the stiffener; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the resilient catch shown in Figs. (3 am 7 before it is applied to the stiffener.

Fig. 2 will first be described because it shows the stiffener as it is supplied. to the lift cap manufacturer. It comprises a piece 1 of suitable material such as cardboard, sized burlap or the like out to the general shape of a cap visor. The stiffener 1 has secured thereto a resilient catch 2 of such a construction that it will penetrate the cloth with which the stiffener is covered during the process of making the cap by the cap manufacturer. Several different forms of resilient catches which will accomplish this purpose "are shown in the drawings. In all of the forms herein illustrated the catch device is made of wire because I have found that wire answersthe purpose best,inasmu'eh as it-is inexpensive'and will produce a catch which-willreadily penetrate the cloth when the'stiflener is covered. However, the resilient catch may be made of any other materi'althat will allow the catch to be so formed 'as to" penetrate the cloth. The wire is bent-to the properconfiguration to form a resilient catch that will cooperate with an eyelet or other type of socket member. The" preferred form of resilient catch is shown in Figs. 1, 2,3, l and 8. Fig.- 8 shows the resilient catch before it is appliedt'o the stiffener; As will be noted from this figure, it comprises a length of wire so bent as to provide a neck portion 3, horizontal portions 4: and 5, and pointed prongs 6 and 7. The neck 3 is provided with outwardly lnilged portions 8 and 9 forming a resilient enlargement over which the eyelet member, to be hereinafter described, is adapted to be forced. A resilient catch of this type is applied to thestiff'enerby forcing the'prongs 6 and 7 through it and then bending them against the'bottom surface of the stitiener as shown at in Fig. 3 to rigidly clamp the catch to the stiffener. The horizontal portions 4' and 5 serve to brace the catch when the cloth is forced over it. When the stiifener is covered with cloth during the process of manufacturing the cap, the cloth is stretched over the stiffener and forced over the catch so that the catch will pene' trate the cloth and project beyond the surfacethereof, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. In this figure, the stiffener for the visor has been covered with cloth 11 and the resilient catch has penetrated the cloth. Only the neck of the catch projects through and above-the cloth. The base of the catch is completely covered by the cloth as more clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The forward portion of the cap is pro vided with an eyelet 12 or similar member which will serve as a socket for receiving the resilient catch on the visor. When the eyelet is snapped over the resilient catch it assumes the position shown in Fig. 4 in which it engages with the restricted portion of the neck of the catch just below the bulges 8 and 9.

In the resilient catch illustrated in Figs.

5 and 9, the prongs described above are omitted and a circular portion 13 is provided. This type of catch is secured to the stiffener by inserting an eyelet 14. through the circular portion 13 and through a hole in the stiffener and then upsetting or turning over the ends of the eyelet as shown in Fig. 5. This serves to clamp the catch rigidly to the stiffener. The neck of the catch shown in Figs. 5 and 9 has only one out-- wardly bulging portion 8, instead of two, but the general operation is the" same as that of the catch previously described.

The resilient catch shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 10 is also provided with a circular portion 13 adapted to receive an eyelet 14 which serves to attach the catch to the stiffener in the same manner as described in connection with'Fig. 5. In this type of catch the end portions of the wire constitute theneck and are provided with-outwardlybulged por tions 8 and The extremities of the wire may be pointed, if desired, as shown at 15 and 1G, in order to facilitate the penetra tion of the fabric or cloth.

It will now be seen that [have provided a new article of manufacture comprising a stifi'ener for cap-visors having attached thereto a' resilient catch which is of such a character that the stiffener maybe covered with cloth and the catch will 'puncture through it. The stiffener-with the catch attached thereto 'may be sold to the trade as complete article in itself and the cap manufacturer is saved the trouble and expense of attaching the catch to the visor himself. When the cap manufacturer 'c0v ers the stiifener, the catch punctures through the cloth and the ultimate construction is the same as if the cap manufacturer had attached the catch to the visor except that the catch is attached only to thestiif ener and not to the cloth, and except that the eloth covers and hides the base of the catch:

l Vhile I have specifically described the combination of a special form of catch with a cap visor stiffener, the invention also contemplates the application of the special form of catch to any piece of lining material, or other article, which is adapted to be subsequently covered with clothjor the like. The stiffener herein disclosed is in effect a liner and the invention therefore contemplates an article of manufacture comprising any kind of a liner adapted to be subsequently covered with cloth or the like and provided with one part of a separable fastener which will penetrate the-cloth when the liner is covered.

As stated above, theresilient catch is preferably made of wire, as it will more readily penetrate the cloth when made of this material, and furthermore wire is probably the most inexpensive material of which the catch can be made. The entire separable fastener disclosed herein is far less expensive than the usual type of snap fastener employed for the purpose. However, the resilient catch may be made of other materials and the invention is not limited to a wire catch. Furthermore, throughout the specification the catch has been referred to as a resilient catch Vhile all forms of the catch herein disclosed are resilient, the invention also contemplates a non-resilient catch provided the other member of the separable fastener is properly designed to cooperate With it.

Another advantage of the type of catch herein disclosed is that if it be accidentally bent or damaged it may be readily straightened and will continue to remain operative, whereas the usual type of stud fastener, if deformed, becomes wholly inoperative.

The catch herein disclosed is so formed and so attached to the stiffener that it is rigidly braced against the force necessary to cause the catch to puncture the fabric or cloth. The horizontal portions of the catch which lie adjacent to the stiffener help to accomplish this result and in those forms in which an eyelet is employed to clamp the catch to the stiffener, the clamping action of the eyelet also helps to brace the catch when the cloth is forced over it.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture comprising a stiffener for cap visors, and a cloth-penetrating catch member secured thereto whereby the visor stiffener may be covered with cloth and the catch member will penetrate the cloth without materially injuring the same.

2. A stiffener for cap visors having a catch member secured thereto, said catch member being made of Wire and being capable of penetrating the fabric with which the stiffener is covered during the process of completing the visor.

A stiffener for cap visors having one part of a separable fastener secured thereto, said part of the separable fastener being constructed to penetrate the fabric with which the stiffener is covered during the process of completing the visor.

4t. An article of manufacture comprising a piece of lining material adapted to be covered with cloth or the like and having secured thereto one part of a separable fastener, said part of the separable fastener being constructed to penetrate the cloth or the like when the lining material is covered.

5. A stiffener for cap visors comprising a piece of non-metallic flexible material, and a catch member attached to said piece of material, said catch member being constructed to penetrate the fabric with which the stiffener is covered during the process of completing the visor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM GROSS. 

